Archive for December, 2008

Wind will be the big story on this last day of 2008. Why is it so windy? The pressure gradient between a departing and intensifying low pressure area off the NJ coast and a strong high pressure area moving in from the west is causing all the wind. The windiest period should be Wednesday afternoon as the sun’s instability brings down the stronger winds from higher up in the atmosphere. The winds will diminish somewhat overnight so by New Year’s Day, it shouldn’t be that bad. The cold will return and temperatures should be below freezing in most locations around Hampton Roads by morning. A frontal system will be approaching on Friday, but this system is expected to be moisture starved as the system will not be able to tap moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. A shower or two may occur on Friday but that should be about it. Another system moving into the region on Sunday may bring precipitation but I’ll have an update on that as we get closer. That system may be able to bring up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico but forecasters aren’t sure how far north the system will come. Also, next week could be quite unsettled but I’ll have more on that over the next few days. So, enjoy whatever you are doing on New Year’s Eve. If you are going out, dress warmly and stay safe.

I was up in NJ and PA over the Christmas holiday and when I first arrived up there, the snow cover was widespread. As temperatures rose the snow cover rapidly diminished and was all but gone by the time I left the Wilkes-Barre, PA area on Monday. When I got back home Monday night, I checked my rain gauge which had about a half inch of rain. A large high pressure system will be building in on New Years Eve behind a rapidly moving low pressure system that will move through PA. The tight pressure gradient will result in strong winds over the Mid-Atlantic States on Wednesday. Tuesday will be a nice day for late December. For those of you venturing out on New Year’s Eve, dress warmly. A frontal system will be approaching on Friday and a low is expected to develop along the Mid-Atlantic Coast. This low will probably form too far to the east to bring us significant precipitation. However, the combination of the frontal passage and the low developing nearby should bring us some showers on Friday. The weekend looks dry and seasonal. I’ll have an update on Wednesday morning.

The bitter cold air mass will be moving off the coast just in time for Christmas. As the big high pressure area moves out to sea, a southerly wind will bring the mild air into Hampton Roads. There could be a light shower on Christmas Eve but no significant rainfall is expected by forecasters. Some showers may move in on Christmas Day but heavy rain is not likely. Is more cold air headed our way? For the foreseeable future, temperatures should be on the mild side for the most part. As the weekend approaches, a frontal system may bring us some wet weather. Air temperatures across Canada are still very cold, but with the jet stream not coming straight down from Cananda here in the east, the cold air won’t be able to head this far south. Therefore, we should be okay for a while. Once the upper-level winds change direction, the cold will return. Enjoy the mild weather while it lasts. Happy holidays, everyone and drive safe.

As the complex low pressure area moves through on Sunday our rain chances will diminish by late in the day. As the low redevelops, intensifies and then moves norheastward, our winds will increase from the west and northwest bringing in very cold air Sunday night and Monday. The cold will ease as we head towards mid-week, which will mean that the next frontal system scheduled to come through around Christmas will bring rain, not snow. This Christmas will not be a white one for Hampton Roads. Actually, the extended forecast seems to indicate that we will see mild temperatures later in the week. It’s a bit too early to be sure, but that could be a very good thing for holiday travelers who have been plagued with weather related problems across the Northeastern US.

The battle zone between the bitterly cold air mass over the center of the nation and the mild air in the Southeast will be close by this weekend. The actual cold front will slip through the Hampton Roads area Saturday morning only to return north as a warm front on Sunday. A wave of low pressure will ride along the frontal boundary which should bring us some rain Saturday night and early Sunday. Temperatures on Saturday will not rise much and may actually fall a bit through the 40’s. As the low approaches, the front will lift back up north and the temperatures will rise as we head into Sunday. Don’t get used to the mild weather as cold air will quickly return on Monday. The rain will move off the coast on Sunday. Temperatures will moderate as we head towards mid-week, so a white Christmas does not seem likely for us. Another frontal system may bring us some wet weather on Christmas Day. On the national scene, snow and ice have been plaguing many areas from the western states through New England. How about that snow in Las Vegas? Incredible! Note that there are still folks without power in New England from the brutal ice storm earlier in the week. That ice storm is reportedly the worst to hit New England in recorded history.